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Athlete Identity and Mental Health of Student Athletes during COVID-19
- Source :
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Volume 19; Issue 24; Pages: 17062
- Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- The purpose of our study is to evaluate athletic identity (AI) and mental health measures of youth and young adult athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study recruited athletes aged 11–25 years from universities, high schools, and middle schools in California and New York. Participants were emailed a link to an anonymous, cross-sectional electronic survey. The measure included the athletic identity measurement scale (AIMS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), and demographic variables. Chi-square, Fisher’s Exact Test, and linear regression were used to examine the relationships between AI, symptoms of anxiety, and symptoms of depression by age, gender, and race. The survey was completed by 653 participants. AI was stratified by tertiary percentiles. The odds of positively scoring for symptoms of anxiety were 60% higher for participants in college compared with high school (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: [1.09, 2.35]). Conversely, the odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were 68% higher for participants in high school compared to college (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: [1.09, 2.59]). The odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were higher for athletes who scored as high AI, compared to those who scored as moderate (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: [1.11, 2.68]) or low (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: [1.20, 3.12]). The odds of scoring positively for symptoms of anxiety on the PHQ-4 were 3.2 times higher for participants who identified as female (OR: 3.19, 95% CI: [2.31, 4.41]), and the odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were 2.4 times higher for participants who identified as female (OR: 2.35, 95% CI: [1.56, 3.54]). Female athletes experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety at significantly higher rates than male athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. High school students experienced fewer symptoms of anxiety, but greater symptoms of depression as compared to the collegiate group, while college students experienced greater odds of symptoms of anxiety. Athletes in the high AI group were more likely to report symptoms of depression than moderate or low identity groups. Female athletes reported lower AI than male athletes, but still had greater symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Subjects :
- COVID-19
athlete
athletic identity
mental health
adolescent and young adult
youth
health
Male
Adolescent
Universities
Depression
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Young Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Mental Health
Athletes
Humans
Female
Students
Pandemics
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 16604601
- Volume :
- 19
- Issue :
- 24
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- International journal of environmental research and public health
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....75159614815fc7f44f52fa779f2696b9